Section 1 Summary He’s lying on deck of steamboat (got the rivets, perhaps?) and overhears the manager and another man gossiping about Kurtz’s hermit ways; he resides deep in the jungle, sending only prime-quality ivory. They also resent his belief in civilizing the natives.
Quotes: 33c: “Anything-- anything can be done in this country.” (They should hang a man!)
33b: “... the forest, the creek, the mud, the river-- seemed to beckon with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.” (In reference to the forest looking at the two gossiping men.)
Questions: What does Kurtz represent? Why is he portrayed in a positive light? What does the forest symbolize? Is it ironic the two conspirators believe the forest’s death is their ally? Is the forest allied with any of them? Why does Kurtz request that nobody else come up the river? Why did they start talking about the weather? Why is Marlow so tired? Does his dreams lead him to discover some truth? Section 2 Summary Marlow notes the Eldorado mission left and failed: the donkeys died and he supposes that the “lesser animals,” the natives, also died. He then characterizes the forest as “brooding over an inscrutable intention” (presumably an intention of the men). Yet, Marlow “got used to it” by attending to activities such as collecting firewood, “incidents on the surface” which hide the “inner truth.”
Quotes: 34b: “When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality--the reality, I tell you--fades. The inner truth is hidden---luckily, luckily. But I feel it all the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows [people with Fred] performing on your respective tight ropes for-- what is is? half-a-crown a tumble----”
Questions: Has marlow accepted the barbaric truth of his people at this point? If so, why does he go along with them? What does the debris that litter the river Marlow tries to travel represent? What is the significance of the Eldorado Expedition? Does Marlow enjoy being cut off in the different reality? Section 3 Summary BACK TO FRED! One listener growls, “try to be civil Marlow,” after he criticizes all of their careers as “monkey tricks.” He replies “I beg your pardon. I forgot the heartache which makes up the rest of the price. And indeed, what does the price matter if the trick be well done? You do your tricks very well.”
Questions: What does he mean by “the heartache which makes up the rest of the price”? Does he mean monkey tricks earn money and heartache? Does he think his story is boring? “I knew there was one listener awake besides myself” Section 4 Summary Marlow travels farther on the river; he recounts the terror of running his boat aground temporarily. He reflects on the “fine” cannibals, and the expecting pilgrims with him (he’s just driven by seeking Kurtz). He uses a metaphor of a beetle crawling on a porch to represent their treck into a “prehistoric” earth. Comments on the nature of “principles” and the realization the the natives are people, just like us. He concludes by describing an African he trained to work a boiler on the steamboat.
Quotes: “Imagine a blindfold man set to drive a van over a bad road.”
Questions: What does hippo meat the cannibals brought along symbolize? Does the beetle symbol just re-enforce a pointless journey, or something bigger? What does Conrad suggest when he says mother nature is “monstrous” and “unearthly”? Have the native Africans become a symbol for the barbarism of humanity? Is this verbal irony? “Principles? Principles won’t do.” Why is there a devil inside the steamboat’s boiler? Why does the African operate it? Section 5 Summary: Marlow’s crew finds an abandoned station, with a wooden board written on it: “Wood for you. Hurry up. Approach cautiously.” This confuses Marlow and company. They find a old book in the hut on seamanship; Marlow admires its professionalism. They continue, with the current increasing, and Marlow get’s a “flash of insight” about a truth he can’t reach when trying to think about what he’ll say to Kurtz.
Quotes: “What did it matter what anyone knew or ignored? What did it matter who was manager? … The essentials of this affair lay deep under the surface, beyond my reach and beyond my power of meddling.”
Questions: Does the writing foreshadow something? Why is it a book on seamanship? What’s the significance of the author's name: Tower, Towson? Marlow seems to recognize that he hid from the truth. Did he know this while on the trip, or does he just make up these realizations when retelling the tale? Why does past Marlow want to reach Kurtz so badly? Section 6 Summary Marlow anxious to reach Kurtz; senses they’re a day out, but manager advises waiting till dawn because of the warning to approach cautiously. They wake to an opaque fog, and hear a shrieking sound echo from all sides. It terrifies the pilgrims, but simply intrigues the natives. Marlow takes time to admire, and wonder about, the pilgrim’s restraint in not eating all the pilgrims.
Quotes: “The rest of the world was nowhere as far as our eyes and ears were concerned. Just nowhere.” “You can’t breathe dead hippo waking, sleeping, and eating and at the same time keep your precarious grip on existence”
Questions: The leaping fish as loud as a gun-- a symbol? Why are the pilgrims always so terrified and feeble? What’s up with the Hippo meat? Does Marlow admire the natives lack of a concept for time? Is Marlow really confused as to why the natives show enough principle to not eat the pilgrims, or does Conrad just want us to consider why? What is this “restraint” the Marlow keeps referring to? Is it restraint from turning to barbarism? Section 7 Summary As the pilgrims wallow in fear of the shrieking natives attacking, the manager anxiously wants to reach Kurtz. Marlow refuses until the fog lifts, and describes the “unrestrained grief” and “sorrow” he hears in the native’s shrieks. After it does, the procede, suddenly coming under fire from a rain of arrows. His helmsman, a “fool” native who “thought all the world of himself” panics, gets speared, and dies. Marlow grieves like the natives, but at the fact the Kurtz is likely dead. He realizes he desired utmost to hear his voice, gifted in the art of expression. FRED. Marlow goes somewhat crazy relieving the story in entirety, alludes to Kurtz not being dead, and some girl.
Quotes: “The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief.”
Questions: When Marlow says grief takes the form of apathy, is he referring to civilization’s apathy towards the life of the natives? And that it’s somehow rooted in grief? Why does Marlow feel he needs to make the disclaimer “though it sounded extravagant, was absolutely true” when describing the fog? What does the fog symbolize? Why did it come so close to Kurtz? What do his bloody shoes symbolize? The ones he threw into the river. Why was the native helmsman full of himself, and why did he die? What happened to Marlow when he broke down? At the point the narrative broke this happens. Girl, what girl? Section 8 Summary Marlow mentions something about girls, foreshadows in strange detail about meeting Kurtz, then goes back to describing how he threw the helmsman's body overboard. They finally find Kurtz’s station, and a crazy man like a clown is there. He’s the owner of the mysterious book they found and, presumably, left the message. He says the natives attacked them because they don’t want Kurtz to leave.
Quotes: “Too dull even to know you are being assaulted by the powers of darkness” “The earth for us is a place to live in, where we must put up with the sights, with sounds, with smells too, by Jove!” “All of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz”
Questions: Why is Kurtz’s introduction so abrupt? What powers of darkness assault us? Why did Marlow mention the girl, and their beautiful world of their own? Again, “breathe deep hippo”? Why is Nowhere capitalized on page 49? Why the suddenly close bond between the helmsman and Marlow? Why does the man beckoning them to the station look like a clown? Again, this book?
Themes:
Civilization becomes a circus, in ironic juxtaposition with the evil forest of the Congo. Both symbolize a kind of barbarism: civilization in it's aimless work, work for the sake of work. The Congo's barbarism lies in its candidness: it doesn't pretend to be on a moral high horse or all-powerful; it's evil when necessary. Morality is in restraint- restraint from what? Restraint from primal instincts maybe, for example. Kurtz is a venerated princess in a castle, his words like the river, all moral, all mighty-- beautifully talented at expression-- dedicated to his work. Is he a fraud? Does he deserve the respect he has? The princess image brings his sincerity into question. White fog symbolizes the white men's blindness, both to their purpose and the truth of the jungle. They think it's there to serve them with Ivory, but their view is obscured by their greed: the white fog. Russian Jester becomes symbol for foolish devotion for Kurtz and stupidity. Everything he says becomes ironic, including that the Natives are "simple people."
He’s lying on deck of steamboat (got the rivets, perhaps?) and overhears the manager and another man gossiping about Kurtz’s hermit ways; he resides deep in the jungle, sending only prime-quality ivory. They also resent his belief in civilizing the natives.
Quotes:
33c: “Anything-- anything can be done in this country.” (They should hang a man!)
33b: “... the forest, the creek, the mud, the river-- seemed to beckon with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.” (In reference to the forest looking at the two gossiping men.)
Questions:
What does Kurtz represent? Why is he portrayed in a positive light?
What does the forest symbolize?
Is it ironic the two conspirators believe the forest’s death is their ally? Is the forest allied with any of them?
Why does Kurtz request that nobody else come up the river?
Why did they start talking about the weather?
Why is Marlow so tired? Does his dreams lead him to discover some truth?
Section 2 Summary
Marlow notes the Eldorado mission left and failed: the donkeys died and he supposes that the “lesser animals,” the natives, also died. He then characterizes the forest as “brooding over an inscrutable intention” (presumably an intention of the men). Yet, Marlow “got used to it” by attending to activities such as collecting firewood, “incidents on the surface” which hide the “inner truth.”
Quotes:
34b: “When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality--the reality, I tell you--fades. The inner truth is hidden---luckily, luckily. But I feel it all the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows [people with Fred] performing on your respective tight ropes for-- what is is? half-a-crown a tumble----”
Questions:
Has marlow accepted the barbaric truth of his people at this point? If so, why does he go along with them?
What does the debris that litter the river Marlow tries to travel represent?
What is the significance of the Eldorado Expedition?
Does Marlow enjoy being cut off in the different reality?
Section 3 Summary
BACK TO FRED! One listener growls, “try to be civil Marlow,” after he criticizes all of their careers as “monkey tricks.” He replies “I beg your pardon. I forgot the heartache which makes up the rest of the price. And indeed, what does the price matter if the trick be well done? You do your tricks very well.”
Questions:
What does he mean by “the heartache which makes up the rest of the price”? Does he mean monkey tricks earn money and heartache?
Does he think his story is boring? “I knew there was one listener awake besides myself”
Section 4 Summary
Marlow travels farther on the river; he recounts the terror of running his boat aground temporarily. He reflects on the “fine” cannibals, and the expecting pilgrims with him (he’s just driven by seeking Kurtz). He uses a metaphor of a beetle crawling on a porch to represent their treck into a “prehistoric” earth. Comments on the nature of “principles” and the realization the the natives are people, just like us. He concludes by describing an African he trained to work a boiler on the steamboat.
Quotes:
“Imagine a blindfold man set to drive a van over a bad road.”
Questions:
What does hippo meat the cannibals brought along symbolize?
Does the beetle symbol just re-enforce a pointless journey, or something bigger?
What does Conrad suggest when he says mother nature is “monstrous” and “unearthly”?
Have the native Africans become a symbol for the barbarism of humanity?
Is this verbal irony? “Principles? Principles won’t do.”
Why is there a devil inside the steamboat’s boiler? Why does the African operate it?
Section 5 Summary:
Marlow’s crew finds an abandoned station, with a wooden board written on it: “Wood for you. Hurry up. Approach cautiously.” This confuses Marlow and company. They find a old book in the hut on seamanship; Marlow admires its professionalism. They continue, with the current increasing, and Marlow get’s a “flash of insight” about a truth he can’t reach when trying to think about what he’ll say to Kurtz.
Quotes:
“What did it matter what anyone knew or ignored? What did it matter who was manager? … The essentials of this affair lay deep under the surface, beyond my reach and beyond my power of meddling.”
Questions:
Does the writing foreshadow something?
Why is it a book on seamanship?
What’s the significance of the author's name: Tower, Towson?
Marlow seems to recognize that he hid from the truth. Did he know this while on the trip, or does he just make up these realizations when retelling the tale?
Why does past Marlow want to reach Kurtz so badly?
Section 6 Summary
Marlow anxious to reach Kurtz; senses they’re a day out, but manager advises waiting till dawn because of the warning to approach cautiously. They wake to an opaque fog, and hear a shrieking sound echo from all sides. It terrifies the pilgrims, but simply intrigues the natives. Marlow takes time to admire, and wonder about, the pilgrim’s restraint in not eating all the pilgrims.
Quotes:
“The rest of the world was nowhere as far as our eyes and ears were concerned. Just nowhere.”
“You can’t breathe dead hippo waking, sleeping, and eating and at the same time keep your precarious grip on existence”
Questions:
The leaping fish as loud as a gun-- a symbol?
Why are the pilgrims always so terrified and feeble?
What’s up with the Hippo meat?
Does Marlow admire the natives lack of a concept for time?
Is Marlow really confused as to why the natives show enough principle to not eat the pilgrims, or does Conrad just want us to consider why?
What is this “restraint” the Marlow keeps referring to? Is it restraint from turning to barbarism?
Section 7 Summary
As the pilgrims wallow in fear of the shrieking natives attacking, the manager anxiously wants to reach Kurtz. Marlow refuses until the fog lifts, and describes the “unrestrained grief” and “sorrow” he hears in the native’s shrieks. After it does, the procede, suddenly coming under fire from a rain of arrows. His helmsman, a “fool” native who “thought all the world of himself” panics, gets speared, and dies. Marlow grieves like the natives, but at the fact the Kurtz is likely dead. He realizes he desired utmost to hear his voice, gifted in the art of expression. FRED. Marlow goes somewhat crazy relieving the story in entirety, alludes to Kurtz not being dead, and some girl.
Quotes:
“The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief.”
Questions:
When Marlow says grief takes the form of apathy, is he referring to civilization’s apathy towards the life of the natives? And that it’s somehow rooted in grief?
Why does Marlow feel he needs to make the disclaimer “though it sounded extravagant, was absolutely true” when describing the fog?
What does the fog symbolize? Why did it come so close to Kurtz?
What do his bloody shoes symbolize? The ones he threw into the river.
Why was the native helmsman full of himself, and why did he die?
What happened to Marlow when he broke down? At the point the narrative broke this happens.
Girl, what girl?
Section 8 Summary
Marlow mentions something about girls, foreshadows in strange detail about meeting Kurtz, then goes back to describing how he threw the helmsman's body overboard. They finally find Kurtz’s station, and a crazy man like a clown is there. He’s the owner of the mysterious book they found and, presumably, left the message. He says the natives attacked them because they don’t want Kurtz to leave.
Quotes:
“Too dull even to know you are being assaulted by the powers of darkness”
“The earth for us is a place to live in, where we must put up with the sights, with sounds, with smells too, by Jove!”
“All of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz”
Questions:
Why is Kurtz’s introduction so abrupt?
What powers of darkness assault us?
Why did Marlow mention the girl, and their beautiful world of their own?
Again, “breathe deep hippo”?
Why is Nowhere capitalized on page 49?
Why the suddenly close bond between the helmsman and Marlow?
Why does the man beckoning them to the station look like a clown?
Again, this book?
Themes:
Civilization becomes a circus, in ironic juxtaposition with the evil forest of the Congo. Both symbolize a kind of barbarism: civilization in it's aimless work, work for the sake of work. The Congo's barbarism lies in its candidness: it doesn't pretend to be on a moral high horse or all-powerful; it's evil when necessary.
Morality is in restraint- restraint from what? Restraint from primal instincts maybe, for example.
Kurtz is a venerated princess in a castle, his words like the river, all moral, all mighty-- beautifully talented at expression-- dedicated to his work. Is he a fraud? Does he deserve the respect he has? The princess image brings his sincerity into question.
White fog symbolizes the white men's blindness, both to their purpose and the truth of the jungle. They think it's there to serve them with Ivory, but their view is obscured by their greed: the white fog.
Russian Jester becomes symbol for foolish devotion for Kurtz and stupidity. Everything he says becomes ironic, including that the Natives are "simple people."